Cutting down on pumpkin waste this Halloween

17

Oct2017

Will you be carving a pumpkin this Halloween? It has long been one of the essential traditions of this holiday, but carving a pumpkin purely for the entertainment of it seems a bit wasteful, given how big a global concern food waste is. We don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun this holiday however, so here’s a few tips on cutting down pumpkin waste this Halloween whilst still enjoying yourself.

Buy a smaller pumpkin

Pumpkins vary in size, and if you know you’re only going to be using your pumpkin to scare away ghosts or decorate your front door step, why waste money and create more waste by buying the biggest one you can find? You can have just as much fun carving and decorating small pumpkins, without any of the guilt that comes from knowing that on November 1st, your creation will be discarded.

Use up the seeds

When scooping out the flesh and seeds from your pumpkin, keep the seeds back to make a healthy and tasty snack for later! Pumpkin seeds have lots of health benefits, including high zinc and magnesium content, being high in fibre and having anti-inflammatory properties. There’s lots of ways to season your pumpkin seeds too – try these recipes for starters.

Paint it instead of carving

If you want to decorate your pumpkin for Halloween, why not paint it or get creative in other ways without actually carving it? That way, after Halloween passes, you still have a whole pumpkin which can be cut and roasted into a delicious meal. We love this idea of making a ‘mummy’ pumpkin, leaving the insides totally intact and ready for cooking.

Recycle it in your food waste caddy

After 31st October has passed and your pumpkin has started to decay, it can be recycled in your food waste caddy instead of being added to your general household waste. It might be easier to chop it up into smaller pieces to make it easier to dispose of.

Add it to your compost heap

If you have a compost heap, why not chop your old pumpkin up into small chunks and turn it into fertiliser once Halloween is over? The rind will take longer to decompose, but the scooped out flesh and seeds will break down much more quickly.